Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Fire Resistant Materials

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they take to ensure that all flame retardants are safe (1) in normal use, (2) during fires, and (3) at the end of life when they are disposed of.

lord henley: Manufacturers and distributors must ensure all consumer products are safe before they are placed on the UK market, including those that use flame retardants. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have lead responsibility for environmental policy and restrictions on chemicals.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current health of the UK car industry.

lord henley: The UK’s automotive industry is world leading and global demand for UK designed, engineered, and manufactured vehicles is strong. We are determined to ensure that the UK continues to be one of the most competitive locations in the world for automotive and other advanced manufacturing. Ministers regularly meet senior automotive executives, both through the Automotive Council and individually, to discuss a wide range of matters.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 9 July (HL8938), when they expect to discuss with the government of Israel the bill currently before the Knesset that would impose a five-year prison term for anyone filming or distributing footage on social media that documents confrontations between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv continue regularly to discuss concerns with the Israeli authorities relating to Knesset legislation.

USA: Refugees

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of the United States regarding refugees crossing the Texas border into the United States.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: During the recent visit to the UK by President Trump, the Prime Minister made clear in her joint press conference with the President that the UK has a proud history of welcoming people who flee persecution. The Prime Minister has previously been clear that the separation of children from their parents at the US border was disturbing and wrong. President Trump has now signed an Executive Order aimed at ending the separation policy and US authorities are in the process of implementing this change.

Israel: Gaza

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israelaboutthe missileattack by Israelon al-Kateeba in western Gaza.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Whilst we have not raised this specific incident with the Israeli authorities, we are concerned by the escalation of violence in Gaza and Southern Israel, and have urged restraint from all sides. We appreciate Egyptian and UN efforts to reduce tensions. The people of Gaza and Israel deserve peace and security. The Government has recently announced a new £38 million programme to support economic development in Gaza and the West Bank. We will also be releasing £38.5 million for the UN Relief and Works Agency to help vulnerable Palestinian refugees, as well as £2 million to UNICEF, to help provide Gazans with access to clean water and sanitation.

Hajer Mansoor Hassan

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make any representations to the Bahraini authorities in relation to the targeting of Hajer Mansoor Hassan by the head of Bahrain’s Isa Town Prison, Major Maryam Albardoli, following the engagement of her son-in-law, Sayed Alwadaei, with the UN and the UK Parliament.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We encourage those with concerns about treatment in detention to report these to the appropriate oversight body in Bahrain. We urge these oversight bodies to carry out swift and thorough investigations into any such claims. We understand that the National Institution for Human Rights and the Ministry of Interior Ombudsman are aware of this case and are monitoring the situation, and have been in touch with Ms Mansoor. We have raised the case with the Government of Bahrain and continue to monitor the situation.

Hajer Mansoor Hassan

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 16 April (HL6839), what assessments have since been made on the ability of Bahraini human rights defender, Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, to continue his work in the UK given the recent threats and reprisals facing his imprisoned mother-in-law, Hajer Mansoor Hassan.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have received assurances from the Bahraini authorities that there have been no reprisals against the family members of Sayed Alwadaei. We understand that he has been able to continue his work in the UK.We encourage those with concerns about treatment in detention to report these to the appropriate oversight body. We urge these oversight bodies to carry out swift and thorough investigations into any such claims.

Yusuf al-Jamri

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have filed the case of Bahraini online activist Yusuf al-Jamri under the UK Torture and Mistreatment Reporting Guidance.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office registers details of alleged torture whenever this comes to the attention of a UK official in the course of their duties, in line with the UK Torture and Mistreatment Reporting Guidance.

Palestinians: Demonstrations

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Palestinian Authority regarding the Palestinian Authority Security Force breaking up a non-violent Palestinian demonstration in Ramallah.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Our Consul General in Jerusalem raised our concerns over the actions of the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces and police during the demonstration held in Ramallah on 13 June with senior officials from the PA multiple times in June and July. The PA has accepted that there were mistakes in the policing and has undertaken to learn from these mistakes.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about (1) the closure of two universities in East Jerusalem, and (2) the banning of an academic conference due to be held to discuss the status of Muslim endowment and property, and the protection of Islamic status and Christian heritage in Jerusalem.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not raised these issues, we will continue to press the Israelis and Palestinians strongly on the need to refrain from taking actions which make peace more difficult.

Israel: Gaza

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the destruction of the Arts and Crafts Village in Gaza.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities.

Israel: Discrimination

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the bill currently before the Knesset that could support the establishment of segregated religious and racial communities.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The ‘Nation-State Bill’ has passed through the Knesset into law. The final wording of the legislation did not contain the clause which would have explicitly allowed a community composed of people of the same faith or nationality to maintain an exclusive community. As part of their regular diplomatic work with Israeli authorities and legislators, British diplomats in Israel discussed the Nation State Bill alongside other legislation and developments. Israel’s long standing commitment to equality for all its citizens is one of its great strengths as a fellow democracy. As friends of Israel we would be concerned about any development that would undermine this commitment.

Hong Kong: Politics and Government

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of (1) the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and (2) and the People’s Republic of China, about (a) Hong Kong’s basic freedoms, including freedom of expression, and (b) its autonomy.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government regularly discusses a range of issues with the Governments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the People’s Republic of China, including Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms, the implementation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and the importance of ‘One Country, Two Systems’.The Prime Minister discussed Hong Kong with both Premier Li and President Xi during her visit to China earlier this year. She underlined the UK’s ongoing commitment to the successful implementation of ‘One Country, Two Systems’, and stressed that rights and freedoms in Hong Kong should be fully respected.The Government issued the following statement on 17 July:“We note with concern the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government plans to prohibit the continued operation of the Hong Kong National Party. The rights to stand for election, of free speech and of freedom of association are enshrined in the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights.  The UK does not support Hong Kong independence, but Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy, and its rights and freedoms, are central to its way of life, and it is important they are fully respected.”

British Overseas Territories

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received any proposals from the governments of any of the British Overseas Territories to alter the status of those Territories' relationships with the United Kingdom.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: As I have stated previously, and as set out in the 2012 White Paper, we believe that the fundamental structure of our constitutional relationship with the Overseas Territories is the right one. However, we are happy to consider any proposals on changes to constitutions put forward by any of the Overseas Territories. Officials are currently reviewing two such proposals.

Nigeria: Violence

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 19 July (HL9364), in what ways President Buhari has "strongly condemned" the killing of Nigerian Christians by Fulani militia; and whether any people have been (1) charged with, and (2) prosecuted for, those killings.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​President Buhari has repeatedly condemned the violence and expressed his concern for the lives lost. This year, he has made public statements in February, when he ordered the arrest of those carrying illegal arms, announced the deployment of additional security, and offered his condolences to the victims. In April, addressing the congregation at a Catholic Church, he described as "vile, evil and satanic" the killing of worshippers and two priests at a Catholic church in Benue State. He called on Nigerians to refrain from reprisal attacks. In June, he spoke about the killings in Plateau State, and reiterated his Government's determination to bring those responsible to justice. We are not aware of anyone having been charged. We call on communities not to take the law into their own hands but to work with security forces and the authorities to bring those responsible to justice in accordance with the rule of law.

UN Security Council

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they support calls for the introduction of a code of conduct that would restrain the veto power of the permanent members of the UN Security Council in cases of mass atrocities such as genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes; and what assessment they have made of the likelihood that such a code will be introduced.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK wholeheartedly supports the principle that the Security Council must act to stop mass atrocities. That is why the UK signed up to the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency Group's Code of Conduct in 2015. The Code of Conduct calls on all Council members not to vote against a credible draft resolution on timely and decisive action to end, or prevent, the commission of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes. As of 1 June 2018 the Code of Conduct has been signed by 115 UN member states and 2 observers.

Ministry of Justice

Corruption

lord rooker: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether closed courts are being used for settlements and penalties relating to financial corruption where a trial has not taken place; and if so, why.

lord keen of elie: Where a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) is reached for an economic crime, it must include a declaration in open court that the DPA is in the interests of justice and its terms are fair, reasonable and proportionate. The SFO has entered into 4 DPA’s to date: in each case the final hearing was held in public.

Legal Aid Scheme: Immigration

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the removal of non-asylum immigration cases from the scope of legal aid on young migrants with limited leave to remain.

lord keen of elie: The Government is currently undertaking a post-implementation review of the impact of the legal aid changes made under the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. An assessment of the impact of recent changes to the provision of legal aid for non-asylum immigration cases will be made as part of the review process. We have recently announced our intention to amend the scope of legal aid for unaccompanied and separated migrant children. This scope change will be informed by evidence gathered as a result of the review and delivered with the help of a consultative group.

Treasury

Money Laundering: EU Law

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in implementing the 5th EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive; and whenit will come into force.

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK will continue to apply the terms of the 5th EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive in the event of the UK leaving the EU.

lord bates: The Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5AMLD) entered into force in July of this year, with a transposition deadline of January 2020. This falls during the Implementation Period, and so the UK will transpose this Directive. The Government will consult on the transposition of 5AMLD in due course.

Money Laundering: EU Law

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Financial Conduct Authority will have responsibility for enforcing the 5th EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive.

lord bates: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is already responsible for the anti-money laundering (AML) supervision of UK credit and financial institutions and certain other categories of firm specified in the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017. The Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5AMLD) contains measures that include bringing new categories of firm into scope of national AML regimes. The Government will consult on its approach to transposing 5AMLD in due course.

Financial Services: Euro

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the City of London will be able to continue with euro clearing after Brexit; and whether this would be likely to require direct oversight from EU regulators.

lord bates: Euro-denominated clearing forms an important part of the overall financial structure in London, generating economic efficiencies from which many firms in the UK, in Europe and internationally benefit. Euro-denominated contracts are not only traded by EU firms but also by firms located in the UK and other third country jurisdictions. Many of these transactions would not be impacted by the UK’s exit from the EU. The Chancellor has proposed a new partnership that will focus on developing a mutually agreed and objective framework which maximises the provision of the most important international financial services offerings between the UK and the EU, in a way that is enduring, reliable and ensures financial stability risks can properly be managed.

Artificial Intelligence and Automation

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits and costs of artificial intelligence and automation for the British economy.

lord bates: Artificial intelligence and automation present enormous opportunities for our economy. Some studies suggest that artificial intelligence could add 10% to UK GDP by 2030. Other studies highlight the benefits that artificial intelligence and automation could bring to specific sectors. For example, the independent “Made Smarter” review, published in October 2017, estimated that digital technologies, such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and additive manufacturing, could add £455 billion to the UK manufacturing economy over the next decade. This would represent an increase in manufacturing sector growth of between 1.5 and 3 percent per annum, creating an estimated net gain of 175,000 jobs throughout the economy.

Government Securities

lord teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to issue a sovereign green bond; and if so, when.

lord bates: Before issuing a new type of bond, such as a sovereign green bond, the government would need to be satisfied that – among other factors – they would provide cost-effective financing for the taxpayer, and there would be sustainable demand. The UK’s private sector green bond market is well established, facilitated by the London Stock Exchange’s comprehensive specialist offering. There are now over 64 green bonds listed on the LSE in seven currencies, worth over $20 billion. Sovereign green bonds were recently recommended by the Green Finance Taskforce’s report in March 2018. The government is developing its response to this recommendation, and will respond in due course.

Green Finance Institute

lord teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the Green Finance Institute to become operational.

lord bates: We are working with the City of London Corporation to develop and determine a timeline for launching its new global Green Finance Institute, which we expect will become operational within the next 12 months. In response to the first recommendation of the Green Finance Taskforce, the Chancellor announced the Institute’s creation during his Mansion House address. It will initially be supported by funding from both the government and the City of London Corporation, where the Institute will be housed in the first instance.

Revenue and Customs: Data Protection

viscount thurso: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether HMRC is able to access UK citizens' bank accounts and other personal data without their permission and without judicial oversight.

lord bates: Under longstanding powers HMRC can require banks and building societies to provide data on interest paid to, or collected on behalf of, their customers, without the customer’s permission or judicial approval. With the approval of the taxpayer or the First Tier Tribunal, HMRC can require additional information from banks about a specific taxpayer that is reasonably required to check the taxpayer’s tax position. These data and information gathering powers, some of which have been in continual use since their introduction at the end of the eighteenth century, are regularly reviewed.

Multinational Companies: Taxation

lord morris of aberavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the European Commissioner for Competition to set up a system to ensure that large industriesthat have substantial operations in EU countries, but pay a large part of their taxes elsewhere, pay appropriate taxes in the EU countries where their operations are based.

lord bates: The UK has led global efforts to tackle multinational tax avoidance. We were at the forefront of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Project, which sought to address gaps and mismatches in the international tax system and align tax with economic substance. We have swiftly implemented the project’s recommendations in domestic legislation, introducing a new restriction on the deductibility of multinationals’ interest expense and rules to prevent multinationals exploiting differences in how countries tax financial instruments and entities.We worked closely with the EU Commission and other Member States on the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive, which seeks to implement the recommendations of the BEPS project and ensure a coordinated response in the EU to tackling tax avoidance by multinationals. We are engaging constructively with the EU Commission’s recent proposals on digital taxation, which seek to better ensure that digital businesses pay tax in the countries in which they generate value.

Economic Situation

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effects of Brexit on the UK economy to date.

lord bates: The UK economy is resilient. The economy has grown every year since 2010, and in 2017, growth remained solid at 1.7%. In their Spring Statement 2018 forecast, the Office for Budget Responsibility expected that the UK economy will continue to grow in 2018 and throughout the forecast period. The labour market continues to show strength with both the employment level and employment rate at record highs, and unemployment at the lowest rate in 40 years. The UK government wants to protect jobs and support growth through an economic partnership with the EU, and proposals for our future relationship with the EU are set out in the White Paper.

NHS: Finance

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the Office for Budget Responsibility, 2018 Fiscal Sustainability Report, published in July, that there will not be a Brexit dividend to fund their spending pledges for the health service.

lord bates: The OBR Fiscal Sustainability Report (FSR) stated that “there will be direct savings from the net contributions to the EU budget that the UK will no longer have to make” after leaving the EU. These savings can be allocated to domestic priorities. As the Prime Minister set out, the NHS is the government’s number one spending priority. The announcement stated that the government’s commitment to the NHS will be partly funded by money that we will no longer spend on our annual membership subscription to the European Union after we have left. In addition, taxpayers will need to contribute a bit more in a fair and balanced way. The Chancellor will set out further details at a future fiscal event.

Poverty

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to end the poverty premium.

lord bates: Since 2010 there are 1,000,000 fewer people, including 300,000 fewer children, in absolute low income (before housing costs), both record lows. The government has a range of policies to support households with their energy bills such as the Warm Home Discount, Energy Company Obligation and Winter Fuel Payment schemes. The government is also committed to ensuring that individuals, regardless of their background or income, have access to useful and affordable financial products and services, and has established a Financial Inclusion Policy Forum, which provides leadership and ensures collaboration across government and with the sector in tackling financial exclusion.

Public Sector Debt

baroness neville-rolfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their calculation of what the cumulative cost of debt interest would be by 2045/46 if they only balanced the current budget.

lord bates: The Managing Fiscal Risks document, published by the Treasury on the 17th July, projects that if the government only balanced the Current Budget every year from 2021-22, then after taking account of economic shocks, annual debt interest costs in 2045-46 would rise to 4.3% of Gross Domestic Product. The cumulative cost of these interest payments from the current financial year to 2045-46 is projected to be £3.7 trillion.

Infrastructure

baroness featherstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will respond to the National Infrastructure Commission'sNational Infrastructure Assessment 2018, published in July.

lord bates: The government welcomed the publication of the National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA), and is considering the recommendations. As set out in the National Infrastructure Commission’s Framework Document, the government will respond to the NIC’s recommendations as soon as practical, and endeavour to respond within 6 months, and no longer than a year.

Government Securities

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what UK Treasury Bills are available for purchase on any given day.

lord bates: Treasury bills are typically sold by the UK Debt Management Office (DMO) via regular tenders each Friday morning. Maturities currently offered for sale are one-month, three-month and six-month bills. Alongside the results of each Friday morning’s tender, the DMO also announces the amounts for sale via tender for the following Friday. In addition, on any business day, the DMO can sell either new or existing Treasury bills (which match those previously sold at a tender) bilaterally on request from its counterparties, provided that such issuance is consistent with the DMO’s cash management operational requirements. Finally, Treasury Bill Primary Participants (banks) may also offer a market-making service in all Treasury bills to their own counterparties on any business day.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the report by End Hunger UK, Fix Universal Credit, published in July; and what steps they are taking to respond to the criticisms of Universal Credit made in that report.

baroness buscombe: The Department follows a test and learn approach to Universal Credit, with a number of changes being delivered following feedback from stakeholders and other interested parties during the last few months. These include:From 29 November 2017, introducing Freephone numbers for Universal Credit phone lines.From 3 January 2018, extending the repayment period of Universal Credit advances to 12 months, with claimants now able to apply for up to 100 per cent of their estimated monthly entitlement upfront (and from July 2018 claimants can apply for an advance online). These can be paid on the same day where there is urgent need.From 14 February 2018, removing the seven day waiting period that some claimants faced at the start of their claim.From 11 April, providing an additional payment for claimants already receiving support towards their housing costs of two weeks of their Housing Benefit to support them as they transfer onto Universal Credit. Claimants will not be required to repay this money.We engage at a personal and individual level with all of our claimants and are committed to tailoring the support we give, and any conditionality requirements, to the specific circumstances of the individual. Our work coaches undergo a comprehensive training and accreditation programme. Telephony or face to face services are also in place for those vulnerable claimants who cannot self-serve online. Universal Support is available to help claimants with the transition to Universal Credit and we are investing £200 million into budgeting and digital support to help claimants with the transition to Universal Credit. In 2016, the Department trialled a new process for JSA sanctions in response to the Work and Pensions Select Committee’s recommendations to review the JSA sanction process. The trial involved 6,500 claimants, with the findings (Jobseeker’s Allowance Sanctions Early Warning Trial Evaluation – Final report) published on 21 May 2018. Given the low proportion of cases in which claimants provided further evidence and the even lower proportion of cases where decision outcomes were changed, the Department has decided not to implement this trial process more widely, and will instead consider alternative processes. As part of our test and learn approach we will continue to work closely with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure Universal Credit continues to be introduced in a measured and careful way. Universal Credit ensures claimants are better off when they move into work, by smoothing the transition into work and replacing the benefits cliff edge of the past.

Universal Credit

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they will provide to those who are unable to use online forms and communications in relation to Universal Credit.

baroness buscombe: The Department is committed to providing personalised support for all claimants, including vulnerable groups. Each individual’s circumstances are different and therefore their barriers to work and the support needed must be tailored to these needs. Face to face and telephony support is in place for those vulnerable claimants who cannot self-serve online; the Universal Credit telephone helpline is now a free phone number. Universal Support provides Universal Credit claimants with additional help to use a computer to make or maintain their claim (Assisted Digital Support), help in managing their monthly Universal Credit payment and possible advice on their finances (Personal Budgeting Support). In certain circumstances, where a claimant is unable to manage their own affairs, an appointee can act on their behalf, taking responsibility for making and maintaining any benefit claim. An appointee can be an individual, e.g. a friend or relative, an organisation or representative of an organisation, e.g. a solicitor or local council. The process for enlisting a DWP appointee includes a visit to the claimant and an interview with the potential appointee.

Universal Credit: Disqualification

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) people, and (2) dependants are currently subject to Universal Credit sanctions; and what plans they have for reducing thatnumber.

baroness buscombe: The number of people on Universal Credit with a sanction deduction in February 2018 was 31,720 against a total number of 774,600 people on Universal Credit at that time. Under Universal Credit dependants in a household cannot be sanctioned. As a sanction is only applied when a claimant fails to meet their conditionality requirements without good reason, the Department does not have expectations on the numbers of sanctions that will be applied. However, we take a number of steps to ensure claimants are supported to meet their conditionality requirements. Work coaches tailor claimants’ conditionality requirements, and the support they require to meet them, to their individual circumstances and capabilities. They work with claimants to agree their conditionality requirements, explaining what could happen should they fail to meet them. Claimants are given every opportunity to explain why they failed to meet their agreed conditionality requirements before a sanction decision is made. When considering whether a sanction is appropriate, a Decision Maker will take all the claimant’s individual circumstances and any evidence of good reason provided, into account before deciding whether a sanction is warranted. We review processes and learning materials continuously and have a strong quality assurance framework in place.

Older Workers: Discrimination

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to address age discriminationin the workplace and to ensure that older workers remain competitive.

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to (1) encourage more people over 50years old to participate in the work place, and (2) increase training and skills opportunities available for this age group.

baroness buscombe: The number of workers aged 50 and over currently in employment is at a record high of 10.1 million - an increase of 1.4 million over the last 5 years and an increase of 2.2 million over the last 10 years. The Equality Act 2010, already provides strong protection against direct and indirect age discrimination in employment and makes it unlawful for an employer or an employment service provider such as a recruitment agency, to discriminate against an older employee or job applicant because of their age, and this applies both where the employer is making arrangements to fill a job, and in respect of anything done during the course of a person’s employment. DWP continues to work with businesses and stakeholder organisations to support older workers to remain in and return to work and challenge outdated perceptions about older workers. The Government is committed to supporting people aged 50 and over to remain in and return to the labour market and in Feb 2017, published a new strategy ‘Fuller Working Lives: A Partnership Approach’. The Strategy is led by employers, but also sets out the case for action by individuals, and the role of Government in supporting older workers to remain in and return to work. The Strategy and supporting evidence base are available on the gov.uk website. Additionally, the Government announced a National Retraining Scheme in the Autumn Budget 2017 - an ambitious, far-reaching programme to drive adult learning and retraining. The National Retraining Scheme will give individuals the skills they need to progress in work, redirect their careers and secure the high-paid, high-skilled jobs of the future, focusing on those individuals and places who need it most.

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

baroness thomas of winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether consideration has been given to incorporating the UN Convention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities into UK law prior to the UK’s exit from the EU in March 2019.

baroness buscombe: We are fully committed to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The UK as a general principle does not incorporate international treaties into domestic law. However, the Equality Act 2010 (EA2010) enshrines the rights of people in Great Britain with any of nine protected characteristics to live free from discrimination, harassment or victimisation and have equal opportunities in domestic law. The decision to withdraw from the EU does not change this.

Universal Credit

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the level of identity verification required to sign up to Universal Credit is adequate; what reviews, if any, they have undertaken to ensure that online applications do not require a higher standard of identity assurancethan is applied elsewhere; and how they are trying to clear the current backlog of face-to-face interview appointments.

baroness buscombe: DWP takes the security of Universal Credit very seriously, this includes verifying who our claimants are; we continue to work to maintain the high standards of our identity verification processes. There are various ways in which a claimant can verify their identity for Universal Credit purposes: online using the gov.uk verify service; in person using primary and secondary ID verification or; by using biographical questions. In line with advice from the National Cyber Security Centre and best practice, we treat identity proofing as just one of many defences that combine to mitigate attempted fraud. In line with our “test and learn” approach to delivering Universal Credit, we continuously assess the levels of security and fraud risk to both Government and our users, as it is critical that we strike the right balance between making the service as smooth as possible for claimants and protecting the taxpayer against fraud. We reviewed the level of identity required to strike this balance prior to the introduction of gov.uk Verify as an option for users to prove their identity online into the service and found that it, in combination with the other defences against fraud built into the service, gave a sufficiently strong level of proof. As Universal Credit continues to roll out, we are again reviewing the level of identity and the options available to further improve claimants’ experience while protecting DWP against fraud as part of wider efficiency improvements.

Universal Credit

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what success they have had in identifying and tracking claimants of Universal Credit whom they deem vulnerable.

baroness buscombe: Where notified by a Local Authority or a claimant, DWP staff currently updates the claimant profile with any temporary or long term complex needs and how that affects the claimant’s ability to use the service. This enables Universal Credit agents and work coaches to provide individuals with appropriate personalised support.Underlying this approach is the principle that not all individuals with a disability, health condition or other set of personal circumstances will necessarily require support, while some will only need support for a period of time. Our work coaches deliver a personalised journey based on individual claimant needs.The Department is looking to further improve our system to better identify vulnerable claimants with the use of a new ‘pinning’ function. This involves testing methods to extract data on information recorded in the claimant profile using text matching techniques. We have plans to introduce a function to ‘pin’ key profile notes so they are instantly visible to all staff helping a claimant. The Department is beginning wider work to examine how claimants tell us about their complex needs, how we record them and how we can extract data which can help us monitor and improve support.

Universal Credit

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they (1) identify, and (2) measure the number of, people having difficulties with claiming Universal Credit.

baroness buscombe: The Department is continually working to improve the claimant journey for Universal Credit. The Universal Credit Full Service Claimant Survey found that 98 per cent of claims are made online, and that nearly half of claimants had help from others or from their jobcentre adviser to do so, demonstrating that those who need it are accessing the support available to them. The survey also found that 31 per cent of claimants said they need more on-going support with using their Universal Credit digital account. To address this, we are investing up to £200 million into budgeting and digital support, to help claimants with the transition to Universal Credit. This is delivered by the Department and through partners such as local authorities and other third party organisations. All jobcentres across the country have free Wi-Fi, and there are more than 8,000 computers available to support customers who need help with making their claim digitally and applying for jobs online. Work coaches will also assist anyone who needs assistance. If people cannot get online we have also a freephone helpline available.

Universal Credit

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they measure the number of claimants of Universal Credit who are experiencing financial hardship; and if so, how many such claimants there are.

baroness buscombe: For many people who do experience financial difficulties, these pre-date their claim to Universal Credit. For example, in their report published on 11 July 2018, the National Federation of Arms-Length Management Organisations (ALMOs) of Social Housing providers found that of those Universal Credit households in rent arrears, 76 per cent had arrears prior to moving onto Universal Credit. In the Universal Credit Claimant survey, published in June 2018, 4 in 10 claimants reported they were having difficulties keeping up with bills. In 2011/12 in the report “Work and the welfare system: a survey of benefits and tax credits recipients” from 2011/12, one in three main claimants said they run out of money before the end of the week/month always or most of the time, and a further third said this happens more often than not or sometimes. Both surveys are available on gov.uk. Unlike in the legacy system, we are investing around £200 million over the Universal Credit implementation period into Universal Support to help claimants with budget management and digital support. Our work coaches work closely with claimants, ensuring they can identify any vulnerabilities such as financial hardship at an early stage. They can then tailor support according to claimants’ individual needs and help to address these issues. We also have a system of advances and budgeting support to help people with the transition to Universal Credit. From 3 January 2018, we increased the repayment period of Universal Credit advances to 12 months, with claimants able to get up to 100 per cent of their estimated monthly entitlement upfront. These advances are available to claimants interest-free, and from July 2018, can be applied for online.

Universal Credit

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce the number of Universal Credit claimants experiencing financial difficulties from four in 10, as reported in theirUniversal Credit Full Source Survey, published in June.

baroness buscombe: We have introduced a number of measures to support and reduce the number of claimants facing financial difficulties.We are investing up to £200 million into budgeting and digital support, to help claimants with the transition to Universal Credit and our work coaches work closely with claimants, ensuring they can identify any vulnerabilities or specific needs, such as financial difficulties, at an early stage. We have also invested £1.5 billion in a package of measures to support claimants financially in the first assessment period.From 3 January, claimants have been getting advances of up to 100 per cent of their indicative monthly entitlement within a few days. From 14 February, waiting days were removed, and from 11 April, claimants transitioning to Universal Credit from Housing Benefit have been getting an additional 2 weeks of housing cost payments.In June, we announced additional protection for people who receive Severe Disability Premium – they will stay on legacy benefits until Transitional Protection applies and we will introduce protection for those who have already moved on to Universal Credit.

Universal Credit

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what improvements in payment timelines they expect to achieve for claimants of Universal Credit in 2018.

baroness buscombe: Around 80 per cent of new claims are paid in full and on time. In many cases, where full payment is not made on time by the end of the first assessment period, this is as a result of unresolved issues such as: some claimants have not signed their Claimant Commitment or passed identity checks, and the others have outstanding verification issues, such as for housing and self-employed earnings. Whilst their verification is on-going, many of these claimants receive a part payment for those elements of the claim that have been resolved. Within five weeks of the payment due date, 95 per cent of claims are paid in full.DWP continues to monitor payment timeliness and we have made changes to improve payment timeliness. For example, we have built processes into the system to make it easier and quicker for people to verify information such as their housing costs.

Social Security Benefits

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Buscombe on 19 July, stating that "on underpayments, I should be clear that no one suffered a cash loss", what is their definition of a cash loss; what term a claimant should use to describe an underpayment; what is the difference between an underpayment, a payment in full and an overpayment; and whether they consider an overpayment to be a cash benefit to the recipient.

baroness buscombe: No-one suffered a cash loss when they were converted from incapacity benefits to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) because where the amount of ESA they were entitled to was lower than the previous incapacity benefit award, it was ‘topped up’ to match their previous award by a transitional addition. We are unable to say whether someone has been underpaid on conversion from incapacity benefit to ESA and is due arrears of benefit until we have gathered the necessary financial information (by way of an ESA3 form) and reviewed their award. Overpayments are when a claimant is paid more in benefit than they are entitled to. Underpayments are when a claimant is paid less than they are entitled to. The Department seeks to recover overpayments of benefit in accordance with the appropriate legislation.

Social Security Benefits: Ethnic Groups

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they conduct ethnic monitoring of social security benefits, including Universal Credit; and if so, whether this system collects data on the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

baroness buscombe: Claimants, including Universal Credit claimants, are given the option to provide their ethnicity for monitoring purposes. We have published volumes of claimants broken down by ethnicity for some benefits. This is publically available and can be accessed using DWP’s Stat-Xplore function on the gov.uk website, or the Nomis service provided by the Office for National Statistics. The data is not broken down to Gypsy, Roma and Travellers. These individuals are captured in the larger ethnic group they identify with.

Personal Independence Payment

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Buscombe on 19 July (HL9263), whether they will publish the outcome of their consideration of how to give assurance that the assessment process for Personal Independent Payments does not disproportionately affect BAME communities.

baroness buscombe: We are currently considering the approach we will take to this work and will decide on the most suitable method of disseminating the outcomes as part of that activity.

Personal Independence Payment

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Buscombe on 19 July (HL9263), on what evidence they determined that gender is relevant to the needs arising from long-term health conditions or disabilities while ethnicity is not; and whether they will place a copy of that evidence in the Library of the House.

baroness buscombe: Whilst designing Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the Department considered the relevance of what data should be collected and recorded to support the good management of a PIP claim. PIP is based on needs arising from a long-term health condition or disability so gender is not a factor in the decision making process in PIP. However, the collection of data on gender supports the good management of PIP claims as it supports our communications with claimants.

Local Housing Allowance: Care Leavers

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to implement the recommendation in the Social Security Advisory Committee’s reportYoung People Living Independently, published in May,to extend the exemption for care leavers from the Shared Accommodation Rate of Local Housing Allowance until they reach age 25.

baroness buscombe: The Government has no plans at present to implement the recommendation in the Social Security Advisory Committee’s report “Young People Living Independently” to extend the exemption for care leavers from the Shared Accommodation Rate until age 25. We will, however, keep this under review as the current lack of data means we are unable to be clear about the size of the problem. We continue to work with the Department for Education to develop the evidence base and consider evidence from stakeholders on the impact that the shared accommodation has on care leavers. Since 2011 the Government has provided around £1 billion in Discretionary Housing Payment funding to local authorities to help support vulnerable people, including care leavers, mitigate rent shortfalls.

Universal Credit

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their plans to address payment errors and delays for people attempting to claim Universal Credit.

baroness buscombe: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 31 July 2018.The correct answer should have been:

Around 80 per cent of new claims are paid in full and on time. In many cases, where full payment is not made on time by the end of the first assessment period, this is as a result of unresolved issues such as: some claimants have not signed their Claimant Commitment or passed identity checks, and the others have outstanding verification issues, such as for housing and self-employed earnings. Whilst their verification is on-going, many of these claimants receive a part payment for those elements of the claim that have been resolved. Within five weeks of the payment due date, 95 per cent of claims are paid in full.DWP continues to monitor payment timeliness and we have made changes to improve payment timeliness. For example, we have built processes into the system to make it easier and quicker for people to verify information such as their housing costs. Advances are available to provide financial support until the first payment and these can now be repaid over a course of 12 months and can consist of up to 100 per cent of the indicative monthly award. We have also abolished waiting days and now provide 2 weeks of housing support to claimants moving to Universal Credit from Housing Benefit. If a claim has been delayed due to error, DWP can also consider awarding an ex-gratia payment, as set out in the guide of Financial Redress for Maladministration, available on gov.uk, and which is attached.



Financial Redress for Maladministration
(PDF Document, 425.17 KB)

baroness buscombe: Around 80 per cent of new claims are paid in full and on time. In many cases, where full payment is not made on time by the end of the first assessment period, this is as a result of unresolved issues such as: some claimants have not signed their Claimant Commitment or passed identity checks, and the others have outstanding verification issues, such as for housing and self-employed earnings. Whilst their verification is on-going, many of these claimants receive a part payment for those elements of the claim that have been resolved. Within five weeks of the payment due date, 95 per cent of claims are paid in full.DWP continues to monitor payment timeliness and we have made changes to improve payment timeliness. For example, we have built processes into the system to make it easier and quicker for people to verify information such as their housing costs. Advances are available to provide financial support until the first payment and these can now be repaid over a course of 12 months and can consist of up to 100 per cent of the indicative monthly award. We have also abolished waiting days and now provide 2 weeks of housing support to claimants moving to Universal Credit from Housing Benefit. If a claim has been delayed due to error, DWP can also consider awarding an ex-gratia payment, as set out in the guide of Financial Redress for Maladministration, available on gov.uk, and which is attached.



Financial Redress for Maladministration
(PDF Document, 425.17 KB)

Children: Poverty

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, or intend to make, of the report of the Resolution Foundation,Living Standards Audit 2018, published on 24 July, and its conclusion that the proportion of children in poverty has risen by 21per cent in the five years to 2016, rather thantheir estimate of 11per cent.

baroness buscombe: Benefit under-reporting in household surveys is a well-known, long standing issue. To date it has not been possible to accurately resolve this. The Resolution Foundation’s report published on 24 July attempts to correct this issue. However, they do not have accurate information on which households are under-reporting. Consequently, they use a series of assumptions to select a number of households in the survey, allocating them additional income from benefits. This means the conclusions in the report will be sensitive to the households selected; different assumptions will give different results. DWP is currently working towards a more accurate solution to correct this issue, whereby survey records are combined with administrative data to improve the quality of the survey data. Making this correction is likely to reduce the number of individuals classed as being in low income.

Home Office

Asylum: LGBT People

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many peoplewho claimed asylum on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity have been subject to enforced removal from the UK in the last 24 months; and of those removed, which countries they were returned to; and how many were returned to each country.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office recently published information on the number of people claiming asylum on the basis of sexual orientation. Unfortunately, specific information on the numbers removed and the country of removal is not currently published and could only be obtained by a manual check of each record. The overlying data can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/asylum-claims-on-the-basis-of-sexual-orientation



Asylum claims on the basis of sexual orientation 
(PDF Document, 353.14 KB)

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements: Pacific Rim Nations

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP); and if so, whatassessment they have made of the length of time that that it would take for the UK to join the TPP.

baroness fairhead: As set out by the Secretary of State in a Written Ministerial Statement on Wednesday 18th July, the UK will potentially seek accession to Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) which includes some of the world's fastest growing economies that together represent 13-14% of global GDP, and a total population of around 500m people. If the UK were to join, it would be the second largest economy in the group, and CPTPP’s coverage of global GDP would increase to around 17%.. The launch of a 14-week public consultation clearly signals the UK’s intent. This will of course depend on a process of accession for new members being established. The earliest we could seek accession could be after March 2019.

Trade Agreements

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether close alignment to the EU common rulebook will disadvantage the UK when pursuing new trade deals with foreign nations.

baroness fairhead: As the Prime Minister has said, “there will be no limit to the possibility of us doing trade deals around the rest of the world once we leave the European Union…”The proposals in the white paper “The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union” would ensure the UK has an independent trade policy. The UK would be able to have the ability to secure trade deals with other countries, including the US.

Common Customs Tariffs

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans for Britain to maintain the EU’s common external tariff permanently; and if so,what assessment they have made of whether this couldconstrain their ability to strike trade deals with non-EU countries.

baroness fairhead: The UK will be leaving the Customs Union and Single Market.In line with the Government’s White Paper ‘The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union,’ the UK will be free to conduct tariff negotiations with other countries after 29th March 2019, for post Implementation Period tariffs.We are looking at a full spectrum of options for the future tariff regime and are considering carefully the evidence available before making a final decision that will serve the best interest of British industry and consumers.